Contact Waste Management of Alameda County at (510) 613-8710 if you need a new or replacement green yard trimmings cart or food scraps pail.

What to Put In

Yard trimmings including:

Leaves

Flowers

Grass & weeds

Houseplants

Trimmings

Branches less than 4' long and 6" in diameter or across

Unpainted, untreated wood less than 4' long and 6" in diameter or across

Food scraps including:

Fruits & vegetables

Meats, poultry and bones

Coffee grounds

Eggshells

Dairy products

Food-soiled paper products including:

Paper napkins and towels

Paper plates and cups

Paper ice cream cartons

Coffee filters and tea bags

Paper restaurant take-out containers

What to Keep Out

Garbage

Plastic bags, trays or containers

Diapers

Cat litter

Animal feces

Painted or treated wood

Dirt or rocks

Concrete or bricks

The Food Scrap Pail

These pails are for convenient collection of food scraps in your kitchen. Don't put your food scraps pail at the curb for collection. It is only for indoor use in your kitchen, to help you collect food scraps. Empty the pail into the green cart for weekly collection.

You may also use alternative containers to collect food scraps in your kitchen. Try using compostable containers, such as:

Paper milk cartons

Paper ice cream cartons

Brown paper bags lined with newspaper and place the entire carton or bag into your green yard trimmings cart.

NOTE: Material set out in plastic bags cannot be recycled! You may be charged for extra garbage if you place food scraps in plastic bags into your green yard trimmings cart.

Additional Information

Your green yard trimmings cart holds 64 gallons of material.

Feel free to fill it to the top, but don't let it overflow! Make sure the lid closes.

Set out properly prepared extra yard trimmings at no extra charge

You may set out extra yard trimmings, at no extra charge, 3 different ways:

Place material in your own container (up to 35 gallons) next to your yard trimmings cart. Waste Management will empty and return it to the curb.

Bundle and tie branches no larger than 4' long and 6" in diameter and place next to your yard trimmings cart.

Place material in a brown paper bag next to your yard trimmings cart. 30-gallon brown paper bags are inexpensive, convenient and available from many local hardware stores.

NOTE: Material set out in plastic bags cannot be recycled! You may be charged for extra garbage if you set out your extra yard trimmings in plastic bags.

If one cart is not enough...

If you regularly have more yard trimmings than fit in your cart, you may get a second green cart for $7.59 per month. Call Waste Management of Alameda County at (510) 613-8710 to order an additional cart.